Call for Consistent U.S. Policy on Jerusalem

Posted by Lilly from ? (160.129.27.22) on Friday, December 13, 2002 at 5:00PM :

Call for Consistent U.S. Policy on Jerusalem

ISSUE:

On December 3, 2002, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John
Negroponte joined representatives of Israel and three other countries,
Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Costa Rica, in voting against a
United Nations General Assembly resolution calling on Israel to repeal
its Jerusalem Law. The law, passed by the Knesset on July 30, 1980,
declares that "Jerusalem, complete and united, is the capital of
Israel." In other words, contrary to U.S. policy, Israel's Jerusalem
Law considers East Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, as
part of Israel. The negative vote by the Bush Administration marks a
departure from past American votes on this issue. The United States
usually abstains from voting on such resolutions.

RESPONSE:

Write to Secretary of State Colin Powell to express your outrage at
the Administration's vote that directly violates long-held U.S. policy
regarding the status of Jerusalem. U.S. Middle East policy, held by
Democratic and Republican Administrations alike, has always called on
the parties to the conflict to decide the status of Jerusalem through
direct negotiations. However, the 1980 Jerusalem Law clearly
constitutes a unilateral attempt by Israel to prejudge the status of
Jerusalem.

NAAA-ADC also believes that the U.S. vote at the UN General Assembly
raises serious questions about the consistency and credibility of U.S.
policy at a time when that credibility is at its lowest ebb
worldwide. The vote earlier this week clearly isolated the United
States as the resolution in question won the support of 157 countries,
including key allies of the United States.

TAKE ACTION:

ADC officials wrote to Secretary Colin Powell to express their outrage
and opposition to this contradiction in U.S. policy regarding the
future of Jerusalem. You can also influence U.S. policy by
immediately contacting Secretary of State Powell to voice your opinion
on this matter by using our quick and simple email system at
http://www.capwiz.com/adc or go to ADC's government affairs affiliate
website NAAA-ADC at http://www.naaa-adc.org.

You and I cannot afford to remain silent on this important issue.
Together, we can make a difference!